Northeastern University hockey player comes from traditional basketball family

As a hockey center of much promise, Northeastern University freshman Alex Tuckerman comes from a family line of ... basketball players?

Yes, and that line can be traced to Springfield's dearly departed Classical High School.

Tuckerman happens to be the great-grandson of Don Vaughn, who coached basketball at Classical in the '50s and '60s. His son, Dave, played for him.

"I had the pleasure of playing on a 1957 team with (two-time Lahovich Award winner) Leo Best, Leroy Best and George "The Blade" Blake," Dave Vaughn recalls.

"Strange, isn't it - neither Dad nor I could stand on skates, but now all of my sons and grandsons are hockey players," he said.

Dave's son, Greg, played for the Erie Blades of the Eastern Hockey League. His brother Tim played hockey at Union College.

Their sister, Sheri, is the mother of Alex Tuckerman, whose two goals had a lot to do with Northeastern's knockout of UMass in the Hockey East playoffs last weekend.

For his performance, he was named Hockey East "rookie of the week."

Alex grew up on Cape Cod, following his uncles into hockey. He starred at Nauset High School, then spent two successful seasons in the United States Hockey League with Sioux City before enrolling at Northeastern.

GANNON, AGAIN: When the NCAA Division II Elite Eight of men's basketball comes back to the MassMutual Center Wednesday, Gannon University of Erie, Pa., will lead the field in tournament history.

Gannon has played in the NCAA II tournament 22 times going back to 1962, making the Elite Eight five times.

Central Missouri of Warrensburg, Mo., has played in 19 tournaments and ranks as the only member of the current Elite Eight field to win a national title (1984).

The Elite Eight, which is getting to be a staple in the birthplace of basketball, will have its quarterfinals Wednesday, semifinals Thursday and its championship game March 28.

BEARING UP: That was quite a baseball trip to Arizona for the Golden Bears of Western New England College.

In the Greater Phoenix Invitational, they lost their first three games, then won five in a row. They scored 106 runs in the eight games.

Freshman outfielder Tom Bouvier of East Longmeadow hit .571. Sophomore Andrew Fatse of Hampden hit .464 in the DH role

The Golden Bears open at home Sunday at noon with a doubleheader against Salve Regina of Newport, R.I.

BLUE SOX BULLETIN: Remember the Holyoke Blue Sox? They had an interesting first year in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in 2008, and promise another one under the leadership of general manager Barry Wadsworth.

The Blue Sox already are making news - they have been selected to host the NECBL All-Star Game July 18 at Holyoke's Mackenzie Stadium.